We’d Love a Parade

Welcome back to NBC 4 New York’s continuing coverage of this unforgettable day. We now go live to Bruce Beck, who has word of an unforeseen development, as the massive downtown celebration of the NBA champion Knicks takes an unexpected turn.

Natalie, since Lower Broadway was already set up for an UNBELIEVABLE procession, New York City is now proud to welcome to its legendary parade route the 33-41 New York Mets, winners of a 9-1 game over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday afternoon! A little-known fact: the Mets wear orange and blue, just like the Knicks, so the color scheme here is a PERFECT match. And despite wallowing eight games below .500, the Amazins linger a mere FIVE-AND-A-HALF games from the third and final National League Wild Card spot. Keeping up the pace they established Wednesday in Cincy looms as the KEY to the CITI Field security staff potentially unlocking their gates beyond Game 162.

Leading the way up the Canyon of Heroes, emerging from his own canyon of ZEROS — seven innings pitched with no earned runs allowed and nine Reds struck out — is Nolan McLean. The fans go tentatively WILD, given how excited they were about McLean when the 2026 season started, only to scale back their fervor when the staff’s prospective ace hit a rough patch. But now that the Mets are ROLLIN’ with Nolan, the shouts on his behalf are becoming DEAFENING again!

A familiar face fronts the next float. It’s the SIXTY-SECOND Recidivist Met in franchise history, Zack SHORT! Zack, who started at the position named for him Wednesday, left the Mets early in 2024, and about a month later, the 2024 Mets took flight. The 2026 Mets are 1-0 since Short’s return to the team. No wonder the utility infielder is practically DROWNING in ticker-tape. The Recidivist Met float on which Short stands tall is sponsored by eBay, where you can probably find that item you suddenly have second thoughts about having gotten rid of years ago.

The strains of Counting Crows accompany the entrance of not Boo, but BO Bichette, who would probably like everybody along the parade route to eat some crow. No, folks, Bo Bichette’s career as a productive major league hitter is not over. Since dropping to a nadir of .213 early this month, Bo has batted .436 in his past thirteen games, definitely the sign of somebody who is more than simply ‘hangin’ around’. On Wednesday, Bichette chipped in another three hits and scored three more runs. This crowd seems to have set a record for thunderous applause building from NOTHING.

One of these days…

Ooh, it appears one of the fans along the route has broken loose of the police barricades and may be looking to cause a stir. But wait! A.J. EWING has caught that fan! A.J. catches EVERYTHING, folks, as exemplified by his diving grab of J.J. Bleday’s bid for a bases-loaded double or something even more lethal in the third inning Wednesday. It became a sac fly and the only run Cincinnati would plate. A.J. also drove in a couple of runs in the rout and the fans are showing their appreciation for all the rookie can do.

As for that interloper Ewing caught, the cops are going to let Luis TORRENS throw him out. What an arm! Luis has shot down twelve of sixteen baserunners trying to steal so far this year. And what a bat we’re seeing waved to the crowd from his backstop buddy Francisco Alvarez, who had three hits as designated hitter on Wednesday. Ooh, the throng starts booing at just the mention of “designated hitter,” but it may be Francisco’s best position. Mets pitchers’ earned run average when Alvy is behind the dish is almost FIVE, whereas when Luis goes into his crouch, it falls to just above three.

Now here comes a vehicle you can’t miss: Juan SOTO’S luxury ride. It’s taking its time coming up the parade route, because that’s just the way it goes. As soon as it moseys the length of Broadway, it will be showered with confetti and adoration in acknowledgement of the three hits, two runs and two runs batted in Juan contributed to Wednesday’s victory. Natalie, to opposing pitchers, Juan is unsafe at any speed. Even with the time he missed due to injury in April, Soto’s Baseball-Reference WAR is more than twice that of any other Met position player. Leading Mets pitchers in that category? Clay HOLMES, who’s been out for more than a month. Folks, sometimes Wins Above Replacement really tells you the score.

You won’t want to miss the rest of this repurposed 2026 Mets parade, just in case it’s the last one that happens this year. We’ll be back in a minute to see if we can find any sign of Jorge Polanco and Luis Robert, to name just TWO of the several Mets who we don’t think have shown up yet.